Being Polite and Courteous in Court
In considering a mother’s ‘stay’ of judgement application in a recent case, the Judge commented that it was not surprising that the mother was unhappy with the decision – the Judge had made a range of findings that were adverse to and critical of the mother both as to her credit and her reliability as a witness.
The Judge went on to say that the mother’s demeanour and comments to the court during the hearing showed hostility and disrespect to the Court. It got to a point that the Judge asked her to remove herself from the Court. The Judge had given the mother more latitude in relation to her attitude and general disgruntlement towards the court, probably because she was self-represented, and certainly more than he would have given to any legal practitioner, but that is no excuse. A Judge holds a position that commands respect and politeness.
We caution any self-represented litigant to go against such values, as you could end up detained in the Court jail (yes, it exists!) by the Federal Police, on a charge of contempt.